Printing-machine



H. H. S. WULVERTUN.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATIGN flLED-MAY24,1320. RENEWED JULY 18. 1921.

V1 40 124 Patented Dec. 13, 1921. I

SSHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VE/V TOR.

A/T-TORNEYS.

a. H. s. WOLVEHTON.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1920. RENEWED JULY I8. 1921.

1,400,124, Pa iented Dec. 13, 1921 SHEETS-SHEET 2. m

IN VEN TOR. flaw/f .flaz/firmv ATTORNEYS.

, R H. S. WOLVERTON.

PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FlLED MAY 24, I920- RENEWED JULY I8 1921. 1,400,124.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

" l/ml I N V EN TR.

ill/W AMI/6114 2704 BY 5&7 W

A TTORNEYS.

R. H. S. WOLVERTON. PRINTING MACHINE.

MAY 24, 1920. RENEWED JULY 18, 1921.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

5 SHEETSSHEEI' 4- APPLICATION FILED INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

R. H. S. WOLVERTON.

PRINTING MACHINE. ION HLED MAY 24, 1920. RENEWED JU Y I APPLICAT L 18,1921. 1,400,124, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- Q ATTORNEYS.

1 VENTOR. lam/w if! art/flaw .TON a citizen of the at ilVa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH H. S. WOLVERTON, OF WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON PRINTING-MACHIHE.

Specification of application filed May 24, 1920, Serial No. 383,833.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I RALPH H. S. W OLVER- United States, residing lla Walla, in the county of Walla Walla'and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing machines and has for its object to provide a machine that will print on the skin of the most delicate fruit without damage to the fruit and that is applicable to the dating and otherwise marking eggs without crushing them.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means that will handle vast quantit'ies of. printable articles in a minimum of time.

.With these and otherobjects in view reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fi re 1 is a perspective view. of the printing machine with the feeding mechanism removed and in condition for hand fee ing;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine with some of the carriers removed;

Fig. 3 is a partial end elevation of. the

type roller with art in section;

lgshows t e positive face of one of the type;

ig. 5 is a plan view of part. of one of the carriers; l, Fig. 6* is a side elevation thereof partly Fig. 7 is an end elevation partly in section of the carrier roller;

Fig. 8 is a fragment of a carrier roller showing the groove and studs. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of an automatic feeding mechanism;

Fig, 10 is apartial plan view thereof;

Fig.11 is an enlarged view of a portion of j tension; and so.

a carrier and showing the adjustable spring tension; Fig. 12 shows anend' view of the parted carrier guide anda front view of, the spring Fig. 13 Shows an adjusting means for the inking mechanism supports.

Having reference to the drawings likenumerals refer to like parts throughout and the numeral 1 refers to theframe'upon'each Letters Patent.

Renewed July 18, 1921'. Serial No. 485,781.

end of which are mounted grooved rollers 2 in the grooves of which are a se'ries of studs 3.

- These grooved rollers receive the carriers 4 which are composed'of a flexible material which is resilient and of the nature of soft rubber and may be laminated if desired for further flexibility.

0n the bottom of the car ier are strips of metal 5 or other non-stretching material which are riveted to the carriers by rivets 6 to prevent stretching of the whole.

Through the metal strips and carriers are perforations Y which register with the studs 3 of the grooved roller to prevent the carrier-from slipping on the roller an thus maintaining register between the pooh of the carrier and the the printing roll.

The pockets 8 are built in the carrier which is of relatively thick material for that purpose, and the pockets enlarge and contract when curved: this is clearly shown in Fig. 11 wherein the roller is the drive roller which is slightly elevated above the center line shown by the broken and dotted line in this figure and above the guides gives the carrier a drop at the point 9 as it comes over the roller to the grooved carrier guides to be explained In Fig..11 the dotted lines 10 and 11 respectively show the pockets deformed, .while the pocket 8 therein, (dotted) shows undefornied; thus the pocket, as at 10, in pass ing over the roller is opened and in a position to receive the fruit; the pocket 11 on the reverse curve closes and holds the fruit until the carrier assumes a horizontal position when it is unnecessary to hold the fruit longer.

This gripping of the fruit is necessary for the rapid feeding of the fruit whether fed by hand or automatically. The groovedcarrier guide 12 is attached to the frame 1 and is parted as at '13 to pro vide a yielding space beneath the printing point of the machine. The guide is positioned to register with the lower side of the upper portion of the carrier to maintain a true alinement of the corner 4.

In the parted space, centrally of the grooved carrier guide and beneath the car .rier 4, is an adjustable spring tension which consists of a shaft 14 which extends laterprinting surface of Patented Dec. 13,4921.

which raising the carrier the fruit in the proper ally of the machine and carries on its outer end an arm 15 to which is attached a screw threaded adjusting rod 16 and thumb nut 17 On the shaft is a series of spring mounted rollers 18 which yieldingly holds printing position, tension being regulated by the adjusting rod 16 and the thumbnnut 17.

A feeding table 19 is conveniently attached to the frame 1. Over this feeding may be carried on by hand if desired although the automatic feed means shown in F i s. 9 and 10 is preferred.

his feeding means consists of a receptacle 20, or hopper, from ,which is extended a condut sor 21 to register with the carriers, one for each carrier, and above the conductors are operably mounted double gates v22 which acts to permit only one piece of fruit to ass through the conductor at a time. 7 he operating mechanism for all the gates is connected together by the rod 23, and this rod is operably connected to the printing mechanism by the connecting rod 24'and the spur gear 25 for a synchronizedoperation therewith.

Above the carriers 4 is positioned a laterally extending resilient printing roller 26. This roller is of a soft resilient material and carries the print to the.fruit. Regulation of this roller is by means of the capstan headed screw 27. r

Above the printing roller is a-type roller l 28 in which is detachably mounted positive face type 29, and above the type roller is located the usual printing mechanism which supplies the proper inking to the type of the type roller, which in turn prints upon the prlnting roller, the print being-conveyed by the printing roller to the article to be printed.

Uprights 30 support the .inking and printing mechanism and adjustment of this mechanlsm with relation to the article to be printed is made by any simple means such as the blocks 31 shown in Fig. 13

wherein the block is shown resting on the' frame and supporting the upright 30. The use ofthe block is an old expedient and in this case will be applied between the support of the roller 26 and the frame 1 as well as between the frame and the uprights. The block between the support of the roller 26 and frame is not shown in the drawings, Fig. 13 being deemed sufficient to show the principle involved.

The pockets 8 in the carrier 4 will be of i a proper size to accommodate the article to be printed which is placed in the hopper 2U from whence it passes through the conductors 21 to the carrier at its high point on the grooved roller 2.- The pocket 10 is now. open to -receive the fruit and closes thereupon about the time that the print passes from under the feeding means opening to its normal position as the- -can'ier assumes a flat posltion on the grooved carrier guides 12.

The fruit is now conveyed over the arted portion 13 of the grooved carrier .gui es and under the printing roller 26, when the spring tension together with the resiliency of the printing roller exerts just sufiicient pressure upon the fruit to furnish the proper contact for good printing without harm to the most delicate fruit or other article to be printed.

The fruit now passes on and discharges at the rear end. of the machine.

In this machine the type face is positive and only comes in contact with the soft nonwearing surface of the inking roller and the soft resilient printing roller, thus there is relatively no wear to the type.

The printing roller receives the impression and delivers it to the article to be printed with no undue pressure; and with the soft carrier even e gs may be printed in this machine without anger of breakage.-

It is understood that slight modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,

1. In a printing machine,-a frame, rollers mounted in said frame, a flexible resilient carrier mounted on said rollers and provided with pockets, a grooved parted carrier guide mounted in each end of said frame, flexible,

resilient, non-stretchable carriers mounted on said rollers and carrying po'ckets, a grooved parted. carrier guide attached to said frame and positioned beneath the upper portion of said carrier, an adjustable yielding roller attached to said frame and ositioned to register against the undersre of the upper porti n of-said carrier, a feedin means, a resilient printing roller journaled in said frame, a type roller carrying detach- I ably mounted positive face type and suitably j ournaled in said frame to register with said printing roller andan inking mechanism, an inking mechanism, and adjustable uprights to support said inking mechanism.

3. In a printing machine, a frame, a

grooved roller mounted in each end of-s aid frame, a plurality of fiexible, resilient, nonstretchable earriers provided With a multiplicity of pockets, a grooved parted carrier guide attached to said frame, an adjustable yielding roller attached to said frame, and positioned to register against the under side of the upper portion of said carrier, a feed ing means consisting of a receptacle, a conductor registering with said carriers, a double gate in said conductor, said double gate being connected with the mechanism of said printing machine for a synchronized operation therewith, a resilient printing roller adjustably'journaled in said frame and positioned above said carriers, a type roller journaled in said frame, detachably mounted type in said type roller, said type positioned to register with said printingroller and an inking mechanism, an inking mechanism, and adjustable unrightsto support said inking mechanism.

4-. In a printing machine, a frame, a grooved roller mounted in each end of said frame and carrying a series o-tstuds in said grooves, a plurality of flexible, resilient, nonstretchable carriers consisting of a yielding resilient structure mounted on nonstretchable bands, said bands and carrier being perforated to register with the studs o said grooved roller, pockets in said carrier, said carrier being of a nature to maintain the formation of said pockets While traveling in a straight line and to assume a defor mation when traveling in a curved line, a grooved, parted carrier guide attached to said frame, an adjustable yielding roller disposed beneath the upper, portion of said carrier, a fceding-Qine'chanism, a resilient printing roller adjustably journaled in said frame, a type roller carrying detachably mounted type and positioned to register with said printing roller and an inking mechanism, an inking mechanism, and adjustable uprights to support said inking mechanism.

- ln testi non 1 whereof I afi ix my signature.

RAL H H. S. VVOLVERTON. 

